Anthony Davis Says Kobe Was A Mentor During 2012 Olympics

Many of the NBA’s bright young stars grew up watching Kobe Bryant as he was one of the most popular players in the NBA for a long time. While Kevin Durant may have recently surpassed him, Bryant still has a large influence on many players.

One of the league’s brightest new players is Anthony Davis, who made his first All-Star team last season. Davis was fortunate enough to play on the 2012 Olympic team before ever stepping foot on an NBA floor and in an interview with SLAM Magazine, remembered learning from Kobe during that experience:

Kobe took me under his wing and told me, You’re gonna be fine, just keep working. I was hanging out with him a lot, just trying to see who Kobe is and why he is Kobe. I learned a lot from him.

Davis clearly took a lot from Kobe as he has quickly blossomed into a star in the NBA. He averaged nearly 21 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks in only his second season.

Now that players like Kobe, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony are no longer playing with Team USA, Davis is the star player on this year’s National team as they head to Spain for the FIBA World Cup.